Week 99 - June 25, 2018

Another Wonderful week here in Galway!! 

We are emailing later today because we headed out to the Cliffs of Moher, and spent our P day with Paul Swenson and Koni :D !  But I will go through the week!

Tuesday:  We were able to have our District Meeting at the Handy's, and Elder Handy gave a Book of Mormon presentation on evidences found within the central and south of America, and it was actually mind blowing.  I learned a lot more about the Nephite and Lamanite people and the way their cultures were sculpted and why they ended in the ways they did!  After District Meeting, we went over with the Handys to Sandra's home, and she let us in!  She has been struggling with depression, and it just hit her pretty hard this last week, thanks Satan.. so we are working hard with her to help her get over it, to re-focus and set this goal to be baptised!  Rest of the day we GQ'd

Wednesday:  We GQ'd the whole day and in the evening taught this chill Brazilian guy, but he wasn't that interested, just friendly.

Thursday:  Another day of GQ'ing, loads of American tourists and members come up and say hi which is class, they buy us ice cream!  We taught a girl from Argentina who was pretty nice as well, hopefully we see her again this week. 

Friday:  All day GQ'ing! 

Saturday:  We were able to teach Andreas.  He is a good guy, but he keeps craicing on with me about going home and all the things to do there hahah.  In the evening, we helped the branch with a surprise goodbye party for the Handys finishing there 18 month mission serving here.  It was wonderful!  We met a new girl named Dirce from Brazil and taught her as well. 

Sunday:  We were able to have some friends come to church with us, especially big for Sandra though!  She is pushing through her depression.  We just need to constantly support her and love her.  We hope this week will be a break through and can get her going again.  Please continue to pray for her! In the evening, Koni came into Galway to hang out with us! We went to the Handy's for a Sunday with her and some others, and Elder Handy blew my mind again with a big power-point on the Second Coming.  We got a call from Paul Swenson, my comp haha.  He is touring the mission.  He came and hung out with us, too.  It was soo good seeing him. 

Monday:  Today we went with Paul and his family and Koni over to the Cliffs of Moher!  Afterwards, we hung out with Koni, and she is doing real well, proud of her :) 

That's the week!  Just doing my best to finish my mission, working hard, and loving every minute of it.  I love you all. Thank you for your continued love and support, and I will talk to you soon!  Elder Copeland 

Week 98 - June 18, 2018

Bittersweet!

This week has been all over the place with my emotions haha.  It really is a bittersweet nearing the end of your mission, and I am filled with so much love and gratitude for these sacred experiences here. 

Monday:  We shopped around Galway and in the afternoon we bused into Dublin and spent some time with Elder Carter and Elder Keim and slept over at their flat.

Tuesday:  We woke up and headed over to Clonsilla for our All-Ireland Conference.  Man, it was powerful.  I was able to give my departing testimony along with some of my very best friends in the world, as well as hear President and Sister Donaldson's final testimonies.  Ahhh, I was crying so much.  I love them.  I couldn't have made it through my mission without their love and support continually along the way.  As well, to add to how amazing this conference was, Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles Skyped into our conference and did a Q and A !  He talked all about receiving personal revelation in our lives and following the still small voice of the Spirit.  It was a special day.  I'll always remember it.  

After the conference, we said our goodbyes and went back into Dublin and GQ'd for the rest of the evening.

Wednesday:  We got a bus back to Galway and GQ'd !  We GQ'd the rest of the day! 

Thursday:  We were able to see Sandra in the morning, and she was doing so well.  She loved the Word Of Wisdom and was getting so excited for her baptism.  She even wanted to do it in the Irish Sea.  After Sandra, we traveled to Limerick to witness Michael's baptism which went well, and afterwards we traveled home and GQ'd.

Friday:  We were suppose to see Sandra in the morning, but she texted saying that her stomach hurt and that she was going to go to the doctors?  We tried calling her the rest of the day but nothing?  We were able to have two new lessons though, one with an Irish kid named Tom and another with a Brazilian girl named Gisele, which went well.  Loads of Americans are in Galway.  It's scary hearing the accent haha.

Saturday:  We had a full day of GQ'ing, and no response from Sandra, so we were beginning to worry.  In the evening, we decided to go over to her flat.  We got there and no one could buzz us in, so we started yelling and another lady came out who said she was friends with Sandra.  She went over and knocked on her door and nothing, so she began to worry as well.  We went over to the hospital and everywhere we could imagine Sandra would go, and we couldn't find her, and we still can't.  We are really worried.  Please pray for her. I don't know why these things have to happen, and its tough because it really does show Satan will do anything to stop someone from progressing in this gospel.  I hope we can find out what's happened this week. 

Sunday:  We were able to have some friends come that haven't been for a while.  We just need to help them commit to baptism.  We left early from church to catch a bus to.. CORK! And we had our ZLC meeting here, and I'm here emailing now and ahh it feels so good to be back!  I love this place, and we will see some friends today for P day :)

Well that's the weekly.  Sorry it's a bit disorganized today.  I love you all and hope you have a great week though!   Elder Copeland

Week 97 - June 11, 2018

GALtheWAYup !

WOW.  MIRACLES HAVE ALREADY BEGUN IN GALWAY! What an amazing place to end my mission.  The people are friendly, the city is beautiful, and the branch is full of legends. We have already had a great start to the transfer and really were blessed being in the right place at the right time. 

Tuesday:  We started the morning just walking out of the flat into the city square and three minutes in a lady named Sandra comes up to us.  She asks us if we can pray for her. We do and begin talking to her and learn that she is seeking to come closer to God in her life.  We set up a lesson for the next day and we GQ for the day on until the evening where we teach a RC named Andreas from Chile.  What a funny guy.  He tells us a bit more about his life and about Galway. Galway has loads of tourists, especially Americans, so it's funny we have already run into a few members, but it really is a big melting pot here for Irish, Asians, Americans, and Brazilians!

Wednesday:  We begin the day by teaching Sandra, and I don't know if I can say I have met anyone more prepared or receptive to our message in my ENTIRE mission.  She is what you call Golden.  She had been praying for nine weeks for someone to help her come to God, and she said when she saw us walking down the street, that we were two lights and she couldn't stop herself from coming up to us and asking for help.  She is a 53-year-old Irish woman who comes from a Catholic background, but sees the corruption in the church and how they separate the authority from the people.  Actually, a lot of Irish people do not like the Catholic church.  They come up to us and tell us to help the Catholics and tell us all of these corrupt things they have done here. We taught Sandra the Restoration, and she loved it, and accepted a date for baptism on the 23rd of June!  After Sandra, we GQ a bit and have an on the spot with another Irish guy named Declan, really cool as well.  He said after our lesson that his head is saying not to meet with us again, but his heart is telling him to.  So we set up another lesson with him. 

Thursday:  In the morning, we taught Sandra.  She had read 75 PAGES of the Book of Mormon in one night.  She said she couldn't put it down.  WOW.   We taught her about the Plan Of Salvation.  She accepted all of it and understood so clearly, and the rest of the day we GQ'd!  We GQ mostly on the high street called Shop Street, which is really famous and around Eyre Square.  They are packed full of people all day and especially all night haha.  Our flat is right in the city, so we hear all of the night life as well. 

Friday:  We taught Sandra in the morning and we are going through the gospel of Jesus Christ when this girl named Ellen comes up and asks if she can learn more about the book we are teaching from.  WHAT!  She is 20 and has lived all over the world, especially in the Middle East and said she has a belief in a higher power but really wants to know how she can connect to it.  Haha it's almost too good to be true.  We will be seeing her this week as she had to study over the weekend.  In the evening, we went over with the sisters to our WML and had dinner !

Saturday:  We taught Sandra about the Sabbath day and about church, and GQ'd.  The weekends are crazy with all the tourists.  Some people gave us ice cream and cupcakes and money though, Woo! 

Sunday:  We were able to go with Sandra to church.  The branch is great!  They have a lot of members who are so willing and so desirous to build up their branch that they can become a ward.  I was able to give a talk and introduce myself as well.  After church, I gave a man named William a baptismal interview, and it was great.  Excited to get to know these members more.  After church, we GQ'd and in the evening we went over with Sandra to the senior couple named the Handys' home for a spiritual message and a nice meal! 

This week we have All Ireland and will probably be going into Cork.  I'm excited to see everyone there.  I didn't have a chance to take too many photos as we were pretty busy getting started here, but I will get more this week.v I love you all, and am so grateful for my mission and the experiences I have gone through here that strengthen my testimony that we have a loving Father in Heaven, and that each of us are his children, and one eternal family. 😇🍀

Week 96 - June 4, 2018

I AM GOING TO GALWAY FOR MY LAST TRANSFER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hiya, fam.  So we don't have a lot of time today, but my last week in Glasgow was a blast.  

We found loads of new people, helped our friends progress closer to baptism, and were able to have Lynn's confirmation on Sunday. 

I am going to miss Glasgow and all of the experiences I had there, but I am excited for this opportunity to finish my mission and my last transfer here in Galway! 🍀 My companion is Elder Gunson from North Carolina, and we already craic on well.  More from me next week.  

I love you all!  Elder Copeland